Orthopedic cables are used to strengthen and repair broken bones. The cables are typically formed into a loop, simple or complex, and tightened about the bone structure with a tensioning tool. See for example Songer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,340.
There remains a need for a cable tensioner which has a narrow, thin design so that it can penetrate into small, deep wounds and incisions for tensioning of cables deeply mounted in the body.
Also, it would be desirable to provide a cable tensioning unit having the flexibility to engage a wide variety of different cable crimps, as well as being usable in other cable tensioning operations. For example, the cable tensioner might press against a bone plate rather than holding a crimp in the cable tensioning process.
By this invention, such a narrow, thin, but versatile cable tensioner is provided which is capable of gripping a wide variety of cable crimps, or merely providing pressure against bone plates or the like as part of the tensioning process.
The cable tensioner apparatus is also capable of providing a specific, predetermined level of tension which may be variable on a moment-to-moment basis as the surgeon may decide. Also, the process of the tensioning is convenient in its operation and quick.